Method of bonding a battery package

Abstract

A method of fabricating a battery package. The battery package (5) is made using a two-piece plastic housing (16, 18, 20), with one or both of the pieces having one or more apertures (30). Cylindrical-shaped batteries (10) are electrically connected to each other and situated in the housing so that the cylinder wall (32) of each battery is co-located with an aperture, and so that the cylinder wall is substantially tangent to the exterior surface (33) of the housing. The battery package has positive and negative terminals (22, 24) on the housing that are connected to the batteries. A cover, comprising a film (34) and an adhesive material (36), is placed on the exterior surface of the housing. The assembly is ultrasonically welded so that the two pieces of the housing are joined. The ultrasonic energy also forms an adhesive bond between the co-located battery cylinder walls, the cover, and the housing by heating the adhesive material to form a unitized battery package.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of fabricating a battery package, comprising the steps of: A) providing a partially assembled battery package comprising; a plastic housing having a first portion and a second portion having an exterior surface with one or more apertures;   a plurality of cylindrical-shaped batteries electrically connected to each other and disposed in the housing so that the cylinder wall of each battery is co-located with the aperture and is substantially tangent to the housing second portion exterior surface;   positive and negative terminals situated in the housing, a first portion of each terminal connected to the plurality of cylindrical-shaped batteries and a second portion providing an electrical connection on the housing; and   a cover disposed on the second portion exterior surface, comprising a film and an adhesive material, and;     B) ultrasonically welding the housing first portion to the housing second portion, and adhesively bonding a first portion of the cover to the co-located battery cylinder walls and a second portion of the cover to the housing second portion exterior surface by heating and deforming the adhesive material, to form a unitized battery package.   
     
     
       2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the adhesive material is heated by means of ultrasonic energy. 
     
     
       3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the adhesive material is a hot melt glue. 
     
     
       4. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the adhesive material is a pressure sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
       5. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the adhesive material is deformed when heated. 
     
     
       6. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising applying pressure to the adhesive material while heating it. 
     
     
       7. The method as described in claim 1, wherein steps of welding is performed separately from the step of adhesively bonding. 
     
     
       8. A method of fabricating a battery package, comprising the steps of: A) providing a partially assembled battery package comprising; a plastic housing having a top portion and a bottom portion, each portion having an exterior surface and having one or more apertures;   a plurality of cylindrical-shaped batteries, each battery electrically connected to another and disposed in the housing so that the cylinder wall of the battery is co-located with the apertures in the housing top and bottom portions and is substantially tangent to the top portion and bottom portion exterior surfaces;   positive and negative terminals situated in the housing, a first portion of each terminal connected to the plurality of cylindrical-shaped batteries and a second portion providing an electrical connection on a housing exterior surface; and   a cover disposed on the top portion exterior surface and a cover disposed on the bottom portion exterior surface, each cover comprising a film and an adhesive material;     B) ultrasonically welding the housing top portion to the housing bottom portion, and adhesively bonding a first portion of each cover to the co-located battery cylinder walls and a second portion of each cover to the respective top and bottom portion exterior surfaces by heating and deforming the adhesive material, to form a unitized battery package.   
     
     
       9. A method of fabricating a battery package, comprising the steps of: A) providing a partially assembled battery package comprising; a plastic housing having a top portion and a bottom portion, each portion having one or more apertures;   a plurality of batteries, each battery electrically connected to another and disposed in the housing so that a wall of the battery is co-located with the apertures in the housing top and bottom portions and is substantially tangent to the top portion and bottom portion;   positive and negative terminals situated in the housing, a first portion of each terminal connected to the plurality of batteries and a second portion providing an electrical connection on a housing exterior surface; and   a cover disposed on a top portion exterior surface and a cover disposed on a bottom portion exterior surface, each cover comprising a film and an adhesive material;     B) ultrasonically welding the housing top portion to the housing bottom portion, and;   C) adhesively bonding a first portion of each cover to the co-located battery walls and a second portion of each cover to the respective top and bottom portions by heating and deforming the adhesive material, to form a unitized battery package.   
     
     
       10. The method as described in claim 9, wherein steps (B) and (C) are performed simultaneously.